Chapter 1: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

"Count me in." The tribeswoman likes the idea.

"Hoho! Tonight is going to be awesome! Now, drink up!"

---

Later...

"As I was saying, Sobek," Pong murmurs sagely through puffs of pipe smoke, "be like me, and smile often. That's how these softskins make friends: they bare their teeth at each other. Yeah, that's it, give 'em a real good look at those chompers!"

Margot joins in on the singing as well~

---

"I'm game for coming along too. Rarely get the chance to actually be in a boat" Margot replies, drinking a gulp from the freshly filled drink.

Margot's singing goes over much better than Lucan's, but no one in the tavern really notices anyway as it's so loud. After your discussion, you decide that you're going to check out the 'haunted house'. Are there any preparations you'd like to make?

Terry pops upstairs to fetch his rapier.

---

What's going on? Is he here yet? Terry asks as he jogs out to the docks in front of the inn, where his companions are waiting for Lucan to come around with the boat.

Sobek knows that Pong is an expert on softskins, and smiles liberally throughout the evening's festivities, undeterred by the lack of lips.

Lucan greets them all with a smile, from the rear of the boat. All aboard!
To Terry he adds I promised mom, that we would check the crab-traps on the way back

Eshe stands abruptly then goes to recover her adventuring gear - especially her great axe. She claps Pong on the back as she rises and leaves him with a somewhat cold birthday wish. "Live on my friend. See you on the docks." Eshe's instincts tell her a ghost will be the least of their worries, so she equips herself for battle.

Sobek arrives, ready for action! He "smiles" at everyone, especially Pong, bits of the chicken still between his teeth.

"Lucan's mum's boat is a real booty! Oh boy, I can't wait to ride Lucan's mum's booty!"

Terry boards the boat and fills the lantern with oil. All aboard. If we're lucky, we can sail in the light for a few minutes.

Eshe grins at the excuse to go on a sea voyage, even if it's just up the coast. She flings her backpack onboard, then her great axe, then hops aboard. She then ties her locks up with a green bandana to keep them out of her eyes. She looks around admiring the small vessel then chimes in. "Nice booty. Can't wait to ride it." Eshe flashes a wide grin and perches on a rail like a wild sea bird, waiting for the others to board.

Lucan shares an embarrassed look with Terry. She must never know

You all board the small craft and set sail, moving not too far away from shore. It doesn't take long before you have to take the ship back onto shore, though, as the house is on a rocky bluff overlooking the sea about half-a-mile from where you pull onto the shore.

A short time later, you are getting close. The road to the house winds through the rocky coastal terrain, often offering a view of the sea below. Low clouds press upon you; occasional patches of sunlight appear out over the water. A stiff wind blows in off the waves, carrying the briny stink of churning salt water.

After you begin winding up into the hilly terrain, you finally spot the house. The decrepit house sits on the highest ground in the area. Around it, a stone wall has crumbled in many places, exposing the interior grounds. An ornate metal gate lies open at the end of the road, swaying slightly in the wind. Wild flora grows throughout the inner yard, but all the years cannot hide the evidence of a well-tended garden that once sat here. Near the house, the rotted wooden roof of a water well rises out of the tall grass.

Eshe's senses are overwhelmed and she is momentarily intoxicated by the coastal ambiance and beautiful scenery. She takes a deep breath, enjoys the salt air, then pays closer attention to her immediate surroundings as she draws closer to the gate of the abandoned house. She kneels for a moment and runs her fingers gently through the dirt. She looks from left to right suspiciously, studying the lay of the land and seeing if any of the surrounding plants look trampled. She is looking for any signs of humanoid passage....besides their own....or signs of animal life otherwise.

Sobek breathes the clean air deeply. He is puzzled by the state of the house, however.

"Oh yeah, this TOTALLY is ghost house! Ghost never fix anything. Lazy dumb ghost just spook all day."

Terry puts his palm to his face Sobek, ghosts don't have bodies. How difficult do you think house maintenance would be if you didn't have hands? Besides, it doesnt even look that bad. He says, gesturing towards what is, to him, a very fuzzy outline of a gate.

Margot looks over the decrepit, old home. She could tell that it was a nice place, however long ago.the salty air was a bit strong to her still, but wasn't as bad as some of her childhood summers.

"Cheery place, eh?

She thinks back to remember if any locals might have spoken about the house recently around her.